South Rowlett closed in Collierville until spring

A section of South Rowlett Street between West and Sycamore roads in Collierville was closed Monday and will remain shut down until April as part of a $19 million expansion of U.S. 72 from Quinn Road to Poplar Avenue.

The street, which runs parallel to the Norfolk Southern railroad tracks, will reopen for a month before the second phase of the bridge work begins. That phase will keep Rowlett closed for approximately eight months, according to Dale Perryman, town engineer.

Workers will build a bridge over Rowlett that widens the two-lane highway to five lanes, including a median with left turn lanes. The old bridge will be demolished as the new one is built. Traffic on U.S. 72 won't be closed during the bridge work.

South Rowlett is one of a handful of streets through Collierville that provides an east/west alternative to Poplar Avenue and Wolf River Boulevard.

The detour, which is reversed for opposing traffic, routes drivers south on West Street, left on Harris Street, then left on Sycamore Road back to Rowlett.